SHU to welcome new restaurants

In fall 2018, Seton Hall students will have several new places to eat and hang out with their friends.

The school is acquiring a Jersey Mike’s Subs, Pirate Bowls, and there will be a cafe in Jubilee Hall. Jersey Mike’s Subs will offer an array of cold sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, cheese steaks and gluten free options.

Alexandra Torres/Staff Photographer

The brand new Pirate Bowls will feature acai bowls that are organic, GMO free and will also have a selection of vegan options. The cafe will offer a variety of pastries, coffees and Thuman’s sandwiches. All of these locations will accept cash, credit/debit cards, Pirates Gold and Bucks.

Peter Trunk, the director of Business Affairs, elaborated on the new restaurants coming to SHU.

“These particular restaurant concepts were decided upon by GDS [Gourmet Dining Services] and SHU with input from SGA [Student Government Association], SGA surveys, Chat-back suggestions, as well as open forum where information gathered and discussed,” said Trunk.

Trunk specified where the new restaurants will be going, a detail which many students have been curious about the past few weeks. He said that Pirate Bowls will be located in the Living Room of the University Center and Jersey Mike’s will take over BYOB’s current location. It seems as though Jersey Mike’s menu will include a combination of offerings from BYOB and the restaurant’s own menu.

“They will feature handmade fresh burgers, chicken tenders and fries along with a complete Jersey Mike’s sandwich menu,” he said. “The students also wanted an operation in Jubilee Hall. So we presented a cafe concept. This location will be a bakery/sandwich shop and will also offer Starbucks Coffee, as well as other products,” Trunk said.

Juniors Leslie Junco and Yasmine Boto commute from different areas of New Jersey. They both were excited about the new additions.

Boto, a political science major, said, “I’m excited! It definitely gives me more options on campus and would make me more willing to stay on campus with my friends.”

Junco, a social and behavioral sciences major, agreed, “Having new places to eat at on campus gives me and other commuters more opportunity for forming friends and spending time with people,” she said. “As a commuter with friends who dorm, it is hard to find time to hang out with one another because I can’t eat in the cafeteria like them.”

Derrek Beck, a sophomore computer science major, said he is also enthusiastic about the changes.
“I think it is awesome,” he said. “Finally, we are bringing in outside companies for food and we don’t just have Gourmet Dining Services to choose from.”

However, not everyone is thrilled about the news. In fact some are skeptical about the additions. Luke Buzaid, a junior communications major, said he is not impressed.

“I’m impartial to it honestly because I don’t know if it’s actually going to live up to standard,” he said. “Like how the Cove isn’t really Starbucks and Dunkin’ isn’t really Dunkin’.”

With phase two of the board plan renovation being completed this summer, Trunk made it clear that other requests from students will be implemented this fall.

“Continuous dining a.k.a the ‘Unlimited’ meal plans will allow students to enter the Pirate Dining Hall as many as many times as they like between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.,” Trunk said. “The Unlimited plan will be mandatory for freshman for 2018-19 and optional to upperclassmen.”